Sensors Based on Carbon Nanomaterials

The manufacture and maintenance of industrial and medical sensors can be prohibitively expensive. We present a platform for producing cheap, low-power, passive carbon nanomaterial sensors that can be easily integrated into portable devices. This versatile platform has the capacity to detect and quantify a myriad of chemical substances. We also present a method for safely degrading unused sensor material in order to neutralize environmental hazards.

Description

Thanks to their large charge carrier concentration, high surface area, and single-atom thickness, all of which promote sensitivity to surface-level molecular interactions, carbon nanomaterials make ideal sensor transducers. The nanomaterial is composed of holey reduced graphene oxide, which can be decorated with different receptors that confer selectivity depending on the desired application; for example, hydrogen, oxygen, or hydrogen sulfide gas detection. Unlike most commercially available sensors, which require energy-intensive heating elements or sophisticated lab equipment, our platform can be implemented as simple electronic components that change their resistivity based on chemical interactions. Despite its advantages, carbon nanomaterials pose a significant health risk to those exposed through environmental contamination or direct handling. To address this concern, we developed an enzymatic method for safely biodegrading carbon nanotubes. When broken down in this way, nanotubes no longer carry any associated health risk.

Applications

• Gas leak detectors
• Environmental and occupational safety monitoring
• Auto manufacturing
• Breathalyzers
• Chemical spill kits

Advantages

• Low power demand and operates at room temperatures
• High sensitivity with ability to customize for selected application
• Solid-state device
• Inexpensive to manufacture and maintain
• CMOS compatible
• Small size (2x2 mm)

Invention Readiness

Prototype (device) In vivo data (enzymatic degradation)

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20100190239A1

Related Publication(s)

Shao, W., Shurin, M. R., Wheeler, S. E., He, X., & Star, A. (2021). Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antigens Using High-Purity Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Field-Effect Transistors. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13(8), 10321–10327. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c22589

Galanos, N., Chen, Y., Michael, Z. P., Gillon, E., Dutasta, J., Star, A., Imberty, A., Martinez, A., & Vidal, S. (2016). Cyclotriveratrylene‐Based Glycoclusters as High Affinity Ligands of Bacterial Lectins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia ambifaria. ChemistrySelect, 1(18), 5863–5868. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.201601324

Chen, Y., Michael, Z. P., Kotchey, G. P., Zhao, Y., & Star, A. (2014). Electronic Detection of Bacteria Using Holey Reduced Graphene Oxide. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 6(6), 3805–3810. https://doi.org/10.1021/am500364f

Chen, Y., Vedala, H., Kotchey, G. P., Audfray, A., Cecioni, S., Imberty, A., Vidal, S., & Star, A. (2011). Electronic Detection of Lectins Using Carbohydrate-Functionalized Nanostructures: Graphene versus Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Nano, 6(1), 760–770. https://doi.org/10.1021/nn2042384

Vedala, H., Chen, Y., Cecioni, S., Imberty, A., Vidal, S., & Star, A. (2010). Nanoelectronic Detection of Lectin-Carbohydrate Interactions Using Carbon Nanotubes. Nano Letters, 11(1), 170–175. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl103286k